TEXARKANA — A circuit judge in Arkansas has awarded more than half a billion dollars in damages to seven women who were former members of Tony Alamo's ministry and had been physically and sexually abused.

The Texarkana Gazette reported that Miller County Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson entered a default judgment against Twenty First Century Holiness Tabernacle Church, an arm of Alamo Ministries, after it failed to respond to the civil suit.

Johnson awarded the women a total of $525 million.

Alamo is serving a 175-year prison sentence on sex-related convictions. The victims in the civil case are among the victims from Alamo's criminal case.

A lawyer for Alamo did not immediately respond to a message for comment.